Category: The Nine Days

Grilled Cheese with Figs & Honey

I spend all summer waiting for figs to come in season. When they finally turned up at the market, I could not resist putting some sweet, fresh figs onto my grilled cheese sandwich. The best thing about this “recipe” is that it’s not a recipe at all. You can use any bread you like, any soft or creamy cheese, and you can slice, mince, or grill up the figs before adding them to your sandwich (fig jam also works really well).

I don’t have a panini press, but if you do, feel free to grill up your sandwich to get those beautiful grill marks. Alternatively, you can just press your sandwich down over a grill pan for a toasted and crunchy bite!

For a low carb option, hold the bread and just grill up a whole wheel of brie or Camembert and top with figs and generous drizzle of honey.

This post is part of the Kosher Recipe Linkup for the month of August, featuring GRILLED recipes. Scroll down for more!

 

Grilled Fig & Cheese Sandwich

2 slices wholegrain bread or 1 baguette
2-3 tbsp creamy cheese, such as ricotta, farmer’s or goat OR a few slices of soft cheese such as brie or camembert
3 fresh figs, sliced
drizzle of honey
pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp butter

Method:

Spread cheese on bread and top with figs. Drizzle honey over figs and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon. Heat up butter in a grill pan and grill the sandwich until browned and toasted.

1 year ago: honey roasted figs

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Roasted Beet Salsa

I’m back with another great farmer’s market recipe! This one involves a vegetable that has become a staple in my house ever since I married my husband. I didn’t grow up eating beets. The only time my mom would serve them was on Pesach, in her “vinaigrette salad” (a combination of beets, potatoes, carrots and onions). On the other hand, beets were a staple on my husband’s Shabbos table each and every week. My mother in law serves them up cubed, shredded or sliced and it’s always gobbled up to the very last drop. I have adopted my husband’s love for beets and my kids are growing to love them too!

When I first started making beets, I would boil them like my mother does. But then I learned that the best way to really bring out their flavor is to roast them. My favorite part is that I don’t have to use any pots! I wrap each beet in foil and roast them at 400 degrees until my whole house smells like the sweet purple vegetable.

I serve beets in many different ways, but we always fall back on the most simple preparation – diced with some oil, lemon juice and salt. I also like to slice them into circles and lay them out as a bed for salmon. Sometimes, I alternate the slices with yellow (golden) beets and place them on a bed of arugula sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and orange segments.

I hope this post has inspired you not to leave beets just for Pesach cooking. They are a flavorful and healthy root vegetable that can be eaten raw, boiled or roasted and prepared in a variety of ways. You can even eat the greens that grow from the beets (although some stores remove them). Try them sauteed in olive oil with some fresh garlic!

Other beet recipes on BIB:

Israeli couscous with thyme & honey roasted carrots, parsnips and beets
Roasted beet & orange salad

 

Roasted Beet Salsa

2 medium beets
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Wrap the beets in foil and roast at 400 degrees until fork tender. Let cool and using gloves, gently pull the skin off the beets. Cut the beets into a small dice and add to a bowl. Add onions, jalapeno, parsley, olive oil, honey, lime and salt. Serve over fish.

1 year ago: gefilte fish patties in tomato sauce

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Linguini Lasagna

With the nine days* upon us, we’re all looking for a quick fix dairy dinner that doesn’t require oven time. At least here in Brooklyn, where the weather has been stifling hot and humid.  A nice big salad would make for the perfect meal, but I’ve got kids to feed, and salad is just not gonna cut it. My kids adore lasagna, but all that prep and cooking time is too much on these long summer days. My solution? a one-pot pasta dinner with all the lasagna components. The best part is, you can customize it to include all your favorite lasagna fillings. I knew I did well when I served this up and my daughter’s first words were “this tastes like Bubby’s lasagna!” Use store-bought marinara to save on prep time, or prepare your own original recipe.

What recipes are you serving up during the Nine Days? On my menu this week:

Monday: baked ziti and greek salad
Tuesday: crispy beer battered fish tacos from The Shiksa
Wednesday: light eggplant parmesan (no breading)
Thursday: quesadillas with assorted fillings

For more great Nine Days menu ideas, check out last years post.

*The Nine Days is a mourning period over the destruction of the Holy Temple. During this time, observant Jews abstain from eating meat and drinking wine as well as other joyous activities.

 

Linguini Lasagna

1 box linguini pasta, cooked al dente (see package instructions)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups chopped spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze out water)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 jar marinara sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp sugar, optional
1 8oz. container cottage cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method:

Heat up oil in a skillet and add garlic. Saute until fragrant, but not browned. Add spinach and saute for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add marinara sauce, basil, oregano and sugar and bring to a boil. With tongs, toss the linguini into the sauce and stir in cottage cheese and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Variation: For a fun twist on traditional lasagna, break a few lasagna sheets into pieces. Cook until al dente. Use in place of linguini and mix with remaining ingredients.

1 year ago: spinach stuffed mushrooms

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Shlishkes (Gnocchi with Toasted Breadcrumbs)

Being of ashkenazi descent, I grew up eating many traditional Hungarian dishes like kraut-pletzlach (noodles and cabbage), holopches (stuffed cabbage), as well as shlishkes (potato dumplings rolled in toasted breadcrumbs). My mother would make shlishkes on occasion, but I hadn’t eaten it in many years. We were reminiscing about it the other day, so I decided to give it a try. The idea of making a pasta-like dough seemed intimidating, but it was actually quite easy. Rolled in toasted breadcrumbs, these soft potato dumplings are sure to please any palate, ashkenazi and sephardi alike! You can also use this recipe to make gnocchi, and mix it with your sauce of choice (marinara or pesto are good options).

When I looked up my family recipe for shlishkes (which I’ve lightly adapted), I found something interesting. After the instructions for preparing the dough, it said, “take challah.” I would never have imagined that I would need to set aside gnocchi dough for hafrashas challah! After doing some research, it seems as though one would not need to “take challah” for dough that uses only 1 1/2 cups of flour (the original recipe used more). If you’re interested, you can read more about it here.

Shlishkes

4 medium russet potatoes
1 egg
1-2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c flour
6 tbsp butter or 1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup plain bread crumbs

Method:

Scrub potatoes to remove dirt and boil until fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool to the touch, peel them. Mash the potatoes very well*, or if you have one, push them through a potato ricer or fine mesh sieve. While the potatoes are still warm, place them into a mixing bowl and add egg, salt and flour. Mix the ingredients and knead with your hands until a soft dough is formed. Add additional flour if necessary. On a floured surface, and with floured hands, roll out a handful of dough into a long strip. Cut the strip into 3/4″ pieces. If desired, roll the dough over (or under) a fork to create ridges. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, drop pieces into the water and let them simmer until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon. In a separate pan, melt margarine or heat up oil. Add bread crumbs and stir until browned and toasted. Add gnocchi and toss until coated.

* If you don’t mash the potatoes really well, you’ll be left with large lumps of potatoes in your dough.

1 year ago: salad nicoise and other shalos seudos ideas

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Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

OK. I admit it. I made pancakes yesterday. That’s right. After 3 days of chowing down on cheesecake, lasagna, and so many other calorie-laden delicacies, I still went ahead and make breakfast pancakes. And now the guilt is setting in.  I haven’t even stepped on the scale but I can only imagine the damage. I think it’s about time for a detox, don’t you?

When I come up with a new recipe, a lot of my inspiration comes from what’s in my fridge. In this case, I had some leftover leeks from this leek soup, plus some spinach and mushrooms. The spaghetti squash had been sitting around for a while so I decided to give it a go. This recipe is extremely light and diet-friendly, yet tasty and satisfying. Try it with a side of baked salmon or grilled chicken for a complete and healthy meal!

 

Spaghettti Squash with Sauteed Spinach & Mushrooms

2 small or 1 large spaghetti squash
1 large leek
3 cloves garlic
1 container mushrooms
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/8 cup dry white wine, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for sauteeing

Method:

Prepare spaghetti squash according to these directions. In the meantime, slice the leek in half vertically and wash well to remove dirt. Dry on paper towels and and cut crosswise into thin slices. Saute the garlic and leek in olive oil for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft and lightly browned. Add spinach (don’t worry if it won’t fit in the pan, it will wilt down into nothing in seconds) and pour in chicken stock. Stir the spinach until wilted and add wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add spaghetti squash and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Saute for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

1 year ago: savory & sweet cheese balls

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